Seat for use on tram-cars or other outside places.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. D. B.'FOSTER.

N0 MODEL.

INTTE` STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID BLYTHE FOSTER, OE LEEDS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WALKER GEORGE CROSTHWAITE, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

SEAT FOR USE ON TRANI-CARS OR OTHER OUTSIDE PLACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,338, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed December 9, 1901. Serial No. 85,245. (No model To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, DAVID BLYTHE FOSTER, engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in Leeds, in the county of York, England, (whosefull postal address is 39 Stratford street, Leeds, aforesaid,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seats for use on Trani-Cars or other Outside Places, of which the following is a specification, for which provisional application has been made in England, No. 10,058, dated May 15, 1901.

This invention relates to seats for use on tram-cars and other outside places, and has for its object to provide a dry seat and back when the ordinary seat and back are wet.

The invention is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which show the invention applied to a tram-car seat.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section with the ordinary seat shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2, back elevation of the same, showing two seats; Figs. 3 and 4, enlarged vertical sections of a portion of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 a longitudinal section of the lower portion of Fig. 4.

Describing one seat only, A and B are two iiaps hinged to the ordinary back C of an ontside tram-car seat, which iiaps in their normal position cover the ordinary seat-back, iittin g, preferably, in recesses D in such seat-back, and are so arranged that whichever way the ordinary back is facing one of them can be turned down to cover the ordinary seat E, thus providing a dry seat and also a dryback, the ordinary back having been kept dry by the aps fitting into it or bearing against it. These flaps are formed of laminated wood or other suitable material, the grain of adjoining layers being preferably arranged transversely.

F represents hinges, preferably inserted between the layers of Wood forming the flap and turning on a horizontal hollow rod or tube G, fixed to the uprights H of the ordinary back C. Two slots I, Fig. 4, are formed in the tube G to receive pins J, which pass through the hinges and through circular blocks or cylinders K, inserted in the tube G.

L, Fig. 5, is a spring inside the tube G, which is attached at each end in any convenient manner to the blocks K and pins J. In the drawings a loop Z is formed, passing through a slot M in the block K and around the pin J.

It will be observed that four hinges are used, two to each flap; but one hinge only of each flap is attached to the spring L, the other simply turning loosely on the tube G. The hinges of the two flaps are attached to opposite ends of the spring, so that whichever flap is turned down the spring is put in tension. The spring is wound np,so as to press the flap against the back of the seat before the last pin J is inserted by means of a screwdriver or other instrument, a slot k being made in the end of the block K for this purpose.` The edges of the flaps may be grooved, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to engage strips of rubber b or other suitable material Iixed to the ordinary back to prevent water getting between the flap and the ordinary back and also to deaden the noise.

The inode of action is as follows: If the ordinary seat-back be in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the ordinary seat E be wet, the Hap A is turned on its hinges into a horizontal position, so as to cover the ordinary seat E, as shown, thereby putting the spring L in tension and bringing the surface of the flap A, which before was pressed against the back of the seat, uppermost, thus securing a dry seat and a dry back, and if the ordinary back be turned into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 the iap B can be turned in a similar manner. Immediately a person rises from the seat the flap flies back by virtue of the spring into its normal position against the back of the seat, which is therefore kept dry until required again.

Although I have described this invention as applied principally to tram-car seats having reversible backs, it will be obvious that it will be equally applicable to seats having fixed backs, in whichV case only one iiap will be required.

I declare that what I claim is 1. The combinationv in a seat exposed to the weather, of a fixed seat, a back pivoted below and capable of swinging to either side of the seat, a hollow horizontal axis carried by the seat-back just clearing the seat, flaps also carried by the back on each side thereof and IOO hinged to this horizontal axis and a spring located within the said axis normally keeping the fiaps against the back but of sufficient resilience to allow of either Hap being brought down to cover the seat whereby both sides of the back are normally protected from the weather by the flaps, but the aps can be brought down to cover the seat and thus present a dry surface for the occupant to sit upon, and means connecting the spring with said flaps, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a seat, iaps covering the back, a horizontal tube fixed to the back and hinges fixed to the iiaps turning on the horizontal tube, together with springs inside the tube, cylindrical pieces in said tubes, and pins passing through the cylindrical pieces, the said pins securing the springs to the said pieces and also to the hinges of the iaps for actuating them, substantially as described.

3. The combination of aswiugingseat-back covering either side of the back, a horizontal tube xed to the back and hinges fixed to the fiaps turning on the horizontal tube together with springs inside the tube attached at one end to a pin passing through a cylindrical piece secured to one of the hinges of each of the aps on one side of the back and at the other end to a pin passing through a cylindrical piece secured to the corresponding hinges on each of the flaps on either side of the back, substantially as described.

4. In a seat exposed to the weather, the combination of a back, a seat, a horizontal axis on that back close to the seat, hinges rotating on said horizontal axis and having projecting shanks and flaps formed of two or more layers between which the Shanks of the hinges are embedded, substantially as described.

5. In a seat having hinged fiaps, the combination of a back, a horizontal tube in that back just above the line of the seat, hinges carrying flaps normally resting against the back and capable of rotating on that tube, de-

vices for rigidly securing one end of a spring located within the horizontal tube to one hinge of the flap on one side of the back while the other end is attached to the corresponding hinge of the iap on the other side of the back, whereby each fiap when in its normal position is adapted to hold the spring during the depression ofthe other flap, substantially as described.

6. In a seat, the combination of the back C, flaps A and B, hinges F movably supporting said iiaps, horizontal tube G carrying springs and springs L holding the i'laps against said back, together with blocks having devices for securing said springs in the horizontal tube,and pinsJ for securing the springs to the hinges, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 27th day of November, 1901, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.DAVID BLYTHE FOSTER.

Witnesses:

JAMES WATSON MARSHALL, GEORGE EDWARD GoLDTHoRPE. 

